Mobile telephones have, over recent years, received far more powerful processors and more vivid screens with far greater resolution and color fidelity. For example, the Retina™ display Apple claims to have specified a high enough pixel density that the human eye is unable to notice pixelation at a typical viewing distance. Graphic engines that exceed those of cutting edge desktop gaming towers of five years ago are common in some recent smartphones.
Not only in the display of imagery, but also in the capture of imagery, both still and video imagery, has increased both in terms of pixel counts and color fidelity. In contrast with mobile telephones of five years ago, which cameras were limited in both the resolution and lens quality, current cameras of such high resolution and clarity, that some professional photographers have been known to use them for collection of backgrounds for augmenting other photos. Because the principal purpose of the earlier cameras had been thought to be solely for such uses as were allowed by the then-current data transfer rates over the mobile telephone's data channel, cameras were of lesser resolution (when compared to single purpose cameras) and consequently only small file size of images were thought to be advantageous in the context of such limited data capacity. While the poor image quality that resulted was recognizably poor, the camera was felt to be adequate for its intended purpose.
Changes to data transfer protocols and cheaper solid state memory has driven changes in the use of the mobile telephone over time. Rather than capturing photos of limited image size and quality, recent mobile telephone cameras are now more competent than ever; and have, for many consumers, replaced the standalone digital camera. Photos taken with a mobile telephone now account for a majority of photos and videos uploaded to social media sites such as Facebook® and YouTube®. Additionally, both through commercial outlets and through amateur channels, video content has become increasingly available for viewing on telephone platforms.
Still a further consequence of the greater capability of telephone platform has been the cornucopia of applications and games that exploit the resolution now commonly native in these devices. Thus, the telephone platform has become a near-analogue to the desktop computer, though modified by the mobility that they offer. With this increased mobile usage comes increased demand for products which assist the user in taking higher quality photography and video, namely tripods. Given their small size, mobile telephones do not include standard threads for tripod mounting. A specially-designed device is required to achieve hands-free use.
There have been some products offered for standing a cell phone in an upright position, but these have generally been as large as a compact camera itself and have, thus, surrendered the advantage that a mobile telephone camera hasits mobility. None of the current offerings have either the compactness or portability that consumers seek. Ideally, just as the mobile telephone camera allows an unprecedented spontaneity in photography, the stand ought also to be so unobtrusive to carry that using it is equally spontaneous.
Additionally, given the frequent use of the mobile telephone as a monitor, both to view content and the collected photos, any such stand ought to be configured to facilitate viewing of content. Few users will tolerate watching a two hour movie on an entirely handheld device. Thus, in addition to collection of imagery, an ideal stand will facilitate the viewing of imagery.
What is missing in the art is an ultra-compact stand that is readily stowed in the user's wallet. Because a user will always carry a wallet, the configuration, size, and portability will make the stand always available thereby to be used with equal spontaneity as the mobile telephone camera it supports.